About

Provided by Freeths LLP

Our Nottingham, Leicester, Sheffield and Leeds Clinical Negligence team is headed by the nationally rated partner Jane Williams who has over 29 years’ experience conducting high value, complex claims. The team are a pre-eminent force consolidating the firm’s reputation not only as a regional but also national heavyweight. The team continue to excel and expand with Katy Barnett joining on qualification in March this year.

The team are known for their depth and breadth of experience in catastrophic injury claims, delay in diagnosis and misdiagnosis of cancer and other conditions, surgical errors, incorrect treatment and Inquests.

Jane Williams continues to attract high quality instructions cementing the team’s reputation as a leading force in this area as is demonstrated by the work highlights. The team has seen continued growth in their work with a new group action in the last twelve months. The team have received an increasing number of clients as a result of the Maternity Services scandal at Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust. The claims range from maternal injuries, stillbirths, birth injury claims and neonatal deaths. 

We believe we remain a pre-eminent team in the East Midlands region and leading player in the national field.

Chambers Review

Provided by Chambers

Clinical Negligence: Mainly Claimant - Midlands

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Band 1

What the Team is Known For

Freeths has a long-established team with a notable presence across the East Midlands, offering expert advice on the full spectrum of clinical negligence mandates. The firm has offices across the region, including Derby, Nottingham, Birmingham and Leicester. The team demonstrates significant prowess in group action matters, with additional experience in surgical error, delayed diagnoses, high-value birth injury, issues of medical consent and fatal claims.

Strengths

Provided by Chambers

Notable Practitioners

Provided by Chambers

Paul Balen
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Paul Balen
S
Senior Statespeople
Consultant Paul Balen has extensive experience in the clinical negligence arena, with mandates ranging from post-operative care to birth-related cases. He often handles alternative dispute resolution proceedings.
Jane T Williams
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Jane T Williams
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Band 1
Jane Williams is head of the clinical negligence department for the East Midlands and North East at Freeths. She offers extensive expertise across a range of matters, including delay and misdiagnosis claims, surgical error cases and birth injury claims. She also advises on psychiatric injury claims.

She routinely deals with the most complex and sophisticated matters and is an incredibly strong negotiator and advocate who always achieves the best results for her clients.

Working with Jane was fantastic, I felt comfortable working with her and feel strongly that she did what was best for me as her client.

Jane is extremely experienced and not afraid to take on difficult cases and gets excellent results and her client care is superlative.

She is clear and open in her advice and will maintain the direction of forward travel for the client.

Karen Reynolds
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Karen Reynolds
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Band 2
Karen Reynolds is head of the firm's clinical negligence department in Derby. She possesses strong expertise in birth injury cases, often involving cerebral palsy, as well as delay and misdiagnosis claims. She also has experience handling group actions.

She is extremely experienced and handles a lot of big cases and gets good results, she has a strong established track record in these cases.

Karen is very approachable, down to earth and very good at building relationships with lawyers and experts, which means she'll explain things well to me.

Gemma Bedford
Gemma Bedford
Star Associates

Gemma Bedford is a managing associate, with experience handling claims stemming from negligently performed surgery, including those relating to informed consent. She also acts on birth and psychiatric injury claims.

She has a keen focus on client care and achieving results.

Gemma is a rising star.

She is thorough, diligent and hard-working. I enjoy working with her immensely.

Jessica Atkin
Jessica Atkin
Associates to watch

Jessica Atkin is a senior associate assisting on a variety of clinical negligence claims. She regularly deals with neurological and maternal negligence claims and has experience assisting on group actions.

I felt very safe having her on my team. I know she worked hard with the express aim of getting me everything that I was due.

Ranked Lawyers at
Freeths LLP

Provided by Chambers
Filter by
Band

Midlands

Clinical Negligence: Mainly Claimant

Paul Balen
S
Paul Balen
S
Senior Statespeople
Jane T Williams
1
Jane T Williams
1
Band 1
Karen Reynolds
2
Karen Reynolds
2
Band 2
Gemma Bedford
Gemma Bedford
Star Associates
Jessica Atkin
Jessica Atkin
Associates to watch